


Animal

by americanchemicals



Category: Buzzfeed Unsolved (Web Series)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Imprinting, Angst with a Happy Ending, Love at First Sight, M/M, Soulmates, Swearing, Werewolf Mates, Werewolf Ryan Bergara
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-16
Updated: 2018-11-12
Packaged: 2019-03-01 12:13:11
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,741
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13294644
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/americanchemicals/pseuds/americanchemicals
Summary: Ryan kept this particular secret better hidden than anything else in his entire life. No one suspected anything, and only his family knew anything, but that was because they were just like him.But, when he imprints on Shane, he realizes how royally screwed he is.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I'm not very happy with this right now but I've had this idea for a really long time and I just needed to get it out of my system

Ryan kept this particular secret better hidden than anything else in his entire life. No one suspected anything, and only his family knew anything, but that was because they were just like him. 

He wasn't like the stereotypical shifter in media, some poor soul that turned into a beast every full moon and went around animalistically killing people. He didn't even need to shift, literally nothing happened to him when he didn't. So, he really wasn't that much different from any of the humans around him. He just had the potential to shift into a massive wolf. Big deal. 

Because this potential didn't have any affect on his daily life, it really wasn't that hard to keep it a secret. He just had to avoid getting extremely angry, and he really wasn't an angry person, and nothing bad would ever happen. 

He went through life just fine, just another average being existing simultaneously with everyone else. College was just like college for everyone else, classes sucked but the people were fun, and Ryan was pretty happy with majoring in film. Sure, some people called it a useless major, but if it was something that he enjoyed then screw them. He wasn't going to force himself to live a cubicle life based on what other people thought of him. And he had a back-up plan, too, if all else failed. 

Worse case scenario, he could just live as a wolf in Canada if he couldn't find a stable job. He would have all the food he needed and no one would bother him. 

But, he ended up doing some intern work at a few major companies before landing a permanent job at a start-up called Buzzfeed. It paid decent, which meant he could actually afford a place in LA that wasn't falling apart, and it was close enough to work that the commute wasn't completely awful. 

And things were fine. His coworkers were friendly, albeit a bit strange at times, and he was able to go to nearby nature reserves every other weekend to shift. His life was moving forward at a steady pace, and no one suspected a thing about him. 

Sometimes he wondered how different his life would be had he decided to stay in his old pack like the rest of his family had. Spending his days patrolling and hunting instead of editing videos, barely leaving the reserve and only ever interacting with the other people that lived there. 

He would've hated it. He hated it in high school, so he would probably hate it even more now. Leaving the pack behind to go to college was probably one of the best decisions that he had ever made, honestly. Yeah, some people had been mad at him for it, but at least now they had accepted his decisions and were proud of him for getting to where he was. They were a bit salty every now and then when he would visit his family and spend some time with them, but it was nothing he couldn't handle. 

So, overall, for Ryan Bergara life was pretty smooth. 

That was, of course, until he met Shane fucking Madej. 

-

"I hate that we're moving offices. Do you know how much farther our new location is from my house? My morning commute is going to be brutal," Maycie complained, putting the objects from her desk into a box.

"Yeah, but they don't have enough room for everyone anymore, they just reassigned and hired a ton of new folks, too," Daysha pointed out, having finished her own packing a few minutes ago. 

"I actually live really close to the new location," Ryan commented, and Maycie sent him a glare. 

"That's very helpful, thanks Ryan."

"Anytime."

-

"These desk assignments are so confusing, where even is the kitchen?"

"You're looking at that map upside down."

"I think that's on the floor above us."

It was a little chaotic as people moved around, looking for their new desk. Ryan was currently seated at his, twiddling his thumbs instead of unpacking right away. It looked like he had been paired with the Try Guys and another guy he hadn't met before, and because Eugene was a diva, he wasn't going to pick his desk right away in case Eugene needed that specific one for some obscure reason. He didn't mind the new seating arrangements at all, but just hoped that he wasn't roped into even weirder videos now that he was sat with Buzzfeed's four biggest trouble makers. 

"Ryan, move, I want that desk." Well, speak of the devil.

"Sure thing, Eugene."

Ryan slid his box to the desk closest to the wall, but glad that there was at least a window that let in some natural light. As he began to unpack his personal belongings and get settled in, a giant of a man towered over his shoulder, clearing his throat to announce his presence.

"Hi, um, the name's Shane." 

When Ryan turned around in his chair to look up at the new guy, his entire universe froze. The sun could explode and everyone around him could start slaughtering each other and he wouldn't notice. Looking into those dark brown eyes, it was like Ryan was drowning in a never-ending abyss, but he didn't fight it, he embraced it full-heartedly. 

He was snapped out of the moment by Eugene punching his shoulder, and he realized that he had been staring at Shane for quite awhile now, the tall man shifting from foot to foot in awkward silence.

"Sorry, he just hasn't met someone so intimidatingly tall before," Eugene explained, giving Ryan a weird look.

"Shut up, and yeah, sorry, my name's Ryan," he said, reaching his hand out and shaking Shane's. He made sure to not let the touch linger, despite how badly he wanted to, withdrawing his arm after just a few moments to avoid any further awkwardness. 

Shane opted to sit at the desk opposite to Ryan, mostly because it was the last desk open, and began to unpack. Ryan, feeling like a nervous teenager, kept shooting quick glances at the other man multiple times throughout the day. Honestly, he didn't know what was wrong with him. He literally had hundreds of coworkers, and yet there was something about Shane that made him on edge, like he desperately needed to know literally everything about this guy, now. 

But, Ryan wasn't an absolute creep, so he told himself he needed to chill out, and he focused on work (as best as he could). Everything had been fine up until this point, so there was no reason that it couldn't remain that way. 

And it was fine, he ate lunch at his desk while replying to emails, and worked on a script for another episode of his new series of conspiracy theories. All Brent did was provide a bit of commentary during filming, he never wanted to contribute to the tons of research that went into it. It was a bit frustrating, but this was Ryan's idea, so he just needed to put all his energy into it to make it a reality. Even if management eventually stopped funding it and it died out, at least he tried his hardest. 

"Hey, I'm going to head out," Ned announced around five, standing up and stretching. A lot of people had begun to get up and leave, excluding the few that were staying late to complete their work to meet deadlines. Thankfully, Ryan wasn't one of them, and decided he should probably get dinner soon. He needed a ton of calories to function, and he got increasingly angry the hungrier he got. 

As he packed his bag and logged off his computer, Shane began to do the same as well. They somehow ended up walking to the parking lot together, starting up a small conversation. 

He found out that Shane was from Illinois, hated sports, and loved popcorn just as much as Ryan. They got into a somewhat heated debate over white cheddar popcorn versus regular cheddar popcorn, before realizing they had been chatting for 15 minutes at this point and were already in the parking lot. 

"Give me your phone number, this conversation isn't over," Shane had demanded, and Ryan complied without a single protest. He handed his phone over so quickly, he was pretty sure that if Shane had asked him to smash his phone on the pavement he would've done it. 

And with that, they both got into their respective cars, going home for the night. And honestly, Ryan felt bubbly, that light kind of happy that you don't get except for those rare occasions that really lift your spirits. He couldn't fully explain it, but knew one thing for certain.

It all had to do with Shane fucking Madej. 

 


	2. Chapter 2

When Ryan got home, closing his door, it was like he was getting stabbed in the chest repeatedly. Pain shot through his entire body, all of his nerve endings screaming, like he was on fire and couldn't put it out. He registered that he was screaming, but couldn't hear it over the pounding in his ears, and bit his tongue so hard blood filled his mouth, before eventually his vision went pitch black. 

Waking up, he was still on the floor, and it felt like what he assumed the world's worst hangover must feel like. Every muscle in his body ached, every movement setting off the pain again. It was dark outside now, no natural light peeking in through the windows. Turning on the light, Ryan was greeted by the sight of blood, as well as scratch marks littering the entire hardwood floor. Great. 

He could've figure out what would've magically prompted him to shift, in his house of all places, so he sent Jake a quick text saying he needed to call him once he woke up. It was early in the morning, around 4:30 a.m., which meant there was no reason for Ryan to try and get some real sleep in his bed at this point. Grabbing a mop stored away in the broom closet, he cleaned the blood off the floor. Hopping into the shower, he rinsed off any remnants as well as massive amounts of sweat. The clothes he had been wearing were now absolutely trashed, but thankfully it wasn't anything that Ryan would miss. 

He charged his phone, ate a few meals, and then headed back to the office. He kept thinking on the commute there that he had never just shifted like that, well, except for when he had first presented. That had hurt just as badly, but once he had gotten used to the change the pain had stopped. He hadn't gotten angry, which would've prompted a shift, he literally had just closed the door to his apartment.

Like the hulk, shifters would phase when angry. Ryan thankfully had a pretty good grip on his temper, and that hadn't really happened since he was a young teen. So, yet again, he was pondering way too hard about this. He would reach out to the pack, and surely they'd have some better answers for him. 

When he got to his desk, he got back to finalizing the research he had begun yesterday. Within the next hour, more and more people began to trickle in slowly, but Ryan really didn't pay them much mind. It wasn't till he felt a certain presence, picked up  _that smell_ , that his head shot up from his computer, his eyes immediately focusing in on Shane walking into the office. Thankfully, no one took note of the quick movement, the Try Guys were too busy arguing about whether or not to keep in some segment, and everyone else around them were doing their own thing. 

It was a little embarrassing, how fast Ryan had moved to look at him when Shane had entered, but Shane hadn't noticed either. Ryan pretended to act a little surprised when Shane sat down at his desk, making an effort to pretend to be engrossed in his computer and only looking up when Shane pulled his chair back. Seriously, he had just met this guy, and it was weird enough how he had behaved yesterday, he wasn't going to continue to be weird. 

But honestly, Ryan couldn't help it. It was like his nature was screaming at him, his instincts in control instead of him. It was his inner wolf that had reacted to the smell, not him. And honestly, it was probably just because Shane smelled a bit like popcorn, and Ryan was hungry. Hell, he was always hungry, and Shane's smell didn't just magically change either. That was what made him so appealing, nothing else. 

He was just a coworker. A really nice coworker, that didn't really have much in common with Ryan from what he knew so far, but a coworker that Ryan wanted to get to know better nonetheless. And that was a normal thing to want, they were desk partners, after all. Ryan just liked being social at work, and making new friends. 

-

The morning went by flawlessly, other than that initial incident. In fact, everything was fine until lunchtime, when Brent strolled around.

"Hey Ryan, there's something I need to let you know. I'm getting moved, so I can't do your little series with you anymore." Brent's tone didn't even sound the least bit apologetic, he obviously could care less that Ryan's project was toast now.

"Management said I can't do that series without a co-host, what am I supposed to do?" Ryan asked him incredulously, and Brent shrugged, his body language letting Ryan know just how much he cared. Breathing deeply to keep his anger at bay, he turned back to his computer as Brent turned and leave. Great, all of this research was for nothing. 

"I can co-host, if you'd like. I don't even know what the series is about, but I'm definitely interested if you're looking for someone," Shane pipped up from the desk across from Ryan, smiling gently, and at that moment he looked like an angel sent from heaven. 

"Well, it's basically a show that talks about different cold cases, things that detectives and stuff haven't been able to solve-" Ryan launched into his explanation, and Shane listened, nodding in the right places to show he was paying attention and following Ryan.

-

The next few weeks went by pretty flawlessly. Ryan and Shane filmed more episodes together, and the audience absolutely loved him, much more than they had ever loved Brent. And Ryan couldn't blame them, honestly, Shane was an amazing person. He was level-headed and logical in his thinking, but added in his own commentary that was hilarious in a way that could get Ryan to laugh even when he was completely terrified. 

When they first started doing the supernatural cases, Ryan wasn't sure he could get along with Shane, just because he would disprove everything that Ryan said. But, it got to the point where he would look forward to it. He likely the (mostly) friendly arguing, liked that it kept him in the moment. 

Sometimes he wished he could just tell Shane, "I am proof there's supernatural!" but he kept it to himself. He knew that he wasn't allowed to share that particular secret with Shane, he wasn't apart of the pack and therefore couldn't be trusted with it. It did get frustrating sometimes, when he would hear something that was clearly a voice and catch it on film, and Shane would immediately say it was the wind or a bird (especially when Ryan could smell that there weren't any birds nearby). 

He didn't have another episode like he did in his apartment a few weeks ago, and life continued to move on just fine. Jake hadn't returned Ryan's call, but he knew that the younger teen was busy with pack duties, among other things, and pack was a priority. Sometimes, he felt bad knowing that he had abandoned that priority, but when he was with Shane doing Unsolved, all those regrets disappeared within an instant. 


	3. Breathe

Filming had gone flawlessly for weeks. The Unsolved team had wrapped up a season of Supernatural and True Crime, and were now getting into the second season of Supernatural, thanks to a budget increase from corporate. It felt like all of Ryan's dreams were falling into place, like everything he had ever wanted since leaving the pack was finally coming to fruition. 

Really, Ryan had never been happier, it felt like. Shane was an amazing friend, it was like they were platonic soulmates. With every moment they spent together they grew closer, they had never gotten into a serious fight, and Shane just understood Ryan as a person. He may sound like a stereotypical love-struck teenage girl, but Shane  _got_ him. But he wasn't love-struck, no way, he and Shane were just friends. 

They were currently in Blue Creek, California, to film an episode about Bigfoot. And Ryan was in his element, so he was comfortable. He also knew with 100% certainty that Bigfoot wasn't real, so it was interesting to see that this was something that Shane actually put some belief behind. On the car ride there, they had even talked about it a bit.

"So, if it's animalistic, you're more likely to believe it exists?" Ryan had asked.

"Well, duh. In the Amazon there's tons of species of different things that they're still discovering to this day. Bigfoot, scientifically, just makes sense," Shane had replied, in a matter-of-fact tone.

"What about werewolves?" Ryan had then questioned, trying to keep his tone light and joking.

"No. Scientifically, that is complete bull. Really, Ryan? You think it's actually possible for people to shift into something that anatomically is completely different? Our bone structure wouldn't be able to undergo that kind of change, especially not every full moon," Shane scoffed. It stung a bit, because Shane was literally denying Ryan's existence, but he couldn't help it. He didn't know the truth, and until he did, Shane was going to remain as skeptical as ever.

Wait.

Did Ryan just think  _until Shane knew?_

He shook his head, reminding himself that Shane  _could never_ _know_. And that stung a bit more than the fact that Shane didn't believe in werewolves. Well, "werewolves" wasn't the right term, "shifters" was, but Ryan couldn't get technical when asking Shane those sorts of questions. It would raise too many questions on Shane's end, and Ryan was already treading on thin ice with the subject. 

Walking through the woods was peaceful. It would've been better if Ryan could shift the whole time he was there, be completely himself somewhere he felt safe, but filming had to be done. He had slipped out while Shane was showering at the hotel, and quickly folded his clothes and stashed them in a tree. Shifting, he knew he probably had only half an hour before people started wondering where he had gone. Realistically, it was dangerous for a normal person to be sneaking off into the woods at night alone, and he didn't need his team putting together a search party for him.

He didn't go very far from the hotel, when something snagged his leg, and he felt as something pulled his whole weight out from underneath him. Giving out a yelp, Ryan realized he had gotten himself snagged into a netted trap. He heard hurried footsteps, and a trio of men holding up camcorders and flashlights rushed him.

"Did we get him?"

"Is it him?" 

The voices were overwhelming his sensitive senses, and Ryan let out a growl. He could chew his way out of this, but it would take him some time. If he could shift, it'd be much quickly with his opposable thumbs, but he couldn't do that surrounded by dudes with cameras. 

"Um, guys, I don't think that's a foot," the third mumbled nervously. Ryan turned his head as best as he could to look him in the eye, and growled some more.

"Shit, is that a wolf?" 

"It's way too big to be a wolf!"

"It's definitely not a bear!"

"What are we going to do?"

"If we let it out it'll kill us!" 

"We can't leave it for someone else to stumble upon it!"

"Call the rangers, then. They'll probably have to shoot it, but at least it won't hurt anybody," one said after a moment, and Ryan knew that if he were to kill any of them, it'd be that one. He hated being in a position of helplessness, and he hated it even more that he had somehow gotten himself into this mess. Seriously, how was he supposed to know that there would be people out here with traps? Hunting and trapping wasn't allowed this close to the hotel or the highway. His gut filled with dread as someone pulled out a radio phone, and knew he had to think fast if he wanted to save his tail. 

The last thing Ryan expected was to hear a wolf howl nearby. Expanding his senses, he could sense a small pack nearby. He howled in response, signalling for help. 

And thankfully, the trio of Bigfoot trappers weren't idiots, and ran. 

Ryan was soon flanked by a group of abnormally large wolves.  _Shifters_ , he thought, and took note that he had to be careful so that they didn't take him as a threat to their territory. Shifting, still trapped by the net, he raised his hands and put them on the back of his head, staying in a crouched position. Feeling as they tore the net away and he was freed, Ryan slowly lifted his head to be met with four shifters in their human form. He was more shocked that he recognized them.

"Ryan?" his younger brother, Jake, asked with astonishment. 

"Hey," he chuckled nervously. 

"What the hell are you doing here? Getting yourself into trouble, nonetheless," Coda, another member of his old pack, laughed.

"On a trip for work, actually," Ryan replied, standing up, "I should actually be heading back, before my coworkers notice that I've been missing for too long. I'd like to catch up, though, how long will you guys be in this area?" 

"A few days, we just got in yesterday. We don't have our phones, obviously, but howl and we'll come running," Jake answered, pulling his brother into a hug, "If you don't have the time, we're planning a trip to the city of angels in a few weeks."

"I'd love that. Let me guys know if you need a place to stay."

"Sweet. And Ryan, who's the human?" Quil, another old packmate, wondering, making a motion to sniff the air.

"Shit, do I smell that strong? His name's Shane, he's one of my coworkers."

"Just a coworker?" Jake raised an eyebrow.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Ryan asked defensively, and the group laughed. 

"See you soon, Rynosaur," Coda said, before they all turned and shifted, running into the night. And Ryan did the same, heading back to the hotel. 


	4. Pack

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I surprised myself when I found there was a draft for the next chapter but this is exactly what past me left for myself to find:  
> "apple bottom jeans
> 
> boots with the fur
> 
> the whole club be lookin at her
> 
> SHE HIT THE FLOOR"  
> -  
> thanks past me, very helpful

Changing back into his clothes and sneaking back into the hotel room, the last thing Ryan expected was for Shane to be awake.

"Where've you been?" Shane asked, pretending to be disinterested as he scrolled through his phone, only glancing up at Ryan for a second.

"Went for a walk to clear my head," he replied.

"Mkay. You should've told me where you were going. It's like 3 AM now. You've been gone for hours, and you left your phone here. Some people would've gotten worried if their friend did that to them." 

And shit, Ryan really hadn't meant to be gone that long. He had been aiming for thirty minutes tops, but time must've gotten the better of him when he shifted. Blame his wolf, animals are crap at telling the time other than day and night.

"I'm sorry. I promise I'll tell you next time," Ryan apologized, and Shane gave a grunt in response. He looked mad.

"Are you mad?" Ryan said, his voice suddenly getting small. 

"A little, yeah," Shane set his phone on his bed, finally making steady eye contact with him. And shit, Ryan felt a sharp pain in his chest at Shane's words. He felt absolutely terrible for letting Shane down, and had no idea how to make things better between them. 

"I'm really sorry," Ryan repeated, and Shane shrugged.

"It's fine, whatever," the taller man brushed him off, laying down in bed and turning so his back was facing Ryan. 

Going to bed that night, the pain in his chest didn't really go away.

-

The next morning, things weren't so bad, the Unsolved duo getting back into the swing of things. Shane didn't seem that mad anymore, and Ryan's chest no longer mysteriously hurt. They were checking out of their hotel and loading the car with their bags when they overhead an interesting conversation from a nearby group of strangers.

"Are you sure it was a normal wolf? That thing was huge!"

"Well, how big are normal wolves? I don't really have any past experience to base it off of."

"You guys, this is still a big deal. What if Big Foot is some sort of mutated animal? Think about it, if this area has ginormous wolves, what if it has huge ass bears or something like that?"

"Those people sound even crazier than us," Shane commented, closing the trunk.

"Yeah," Ryan chuckled nervously, recognizing them as the group of guys that had accidentally trapped him last night.

"I'm just glad we didn't encounter any wolves during filming. I'm sure we would've made a tasty snack."

"I doubt that," Ryan scoffed.

"Why're you so suddenly confident? You think you could take on a whole pack of wolves?" Shane teased.

"Yeah, easy," Ryan bragged (and weird flex, but okay). 

"Now that, I'd love to see. Sadly, I also don't want to see my best friend torn to pieces before my eyes." 

"Best friend?" Ryan was stunned, Shane had never referred to him in that way before.

"Yeah," Shane said quietly. And the two didn't really address it after that, hopping into the car and starting the drive back to LA with that. 

-

A few weeks later, Shane and Ryan were having a movie night at Ryan's apartment. Ryan had scrambled to buy tons of rugs after spontaneously making those plans with the taller man, doing his best to cover up all the scratches on the floor that no domestic dog could ever possibly make. That, and Ryan didn't even have any pets. 

There were sat on the couch, sitting close enough for their shoulders to touch, sharing a bowl of popcorn, when an unexpected knock came to the door.

"One sec, it's probably just one of my neighbors wanting something," Ryan said, handing Shane the bowl and standing up.

Opening the door, he was not unexpected to be tackled by a large mass of dude. 

"What the  _fuck_ ," he groaned, and Shane came around the corner to find Ryan on the floor, underneath a pile of three other guys.

"Missed you too." Jake smiled at Ryan, who stuck his tongue out at him in reply.

"Can you all get off of me?" Ryan asked, starting to push them off of him. 

"What exactly is happening?" Shane questioned from where he was standing.

"Shane, this is my brother Jake and some of my cousins," Ryan introduced.

"Is this your human?" Coda whispered into Ryan's ear, and Ryan shoved him away.

"You guys could've told me you were planning on stopping by, I kinda had plans tonight."

"We did tell you we were coming," Quil reasoned.

"You said you were planning a visit here in a few weeks, that wasn't exactly specific at all, in the slightest."

"Well, we'll come back tomorrow, seeing that you're  _busy_ ," Coda said, giving him an over-exaggerated wink. 

"Shut up, call before you do," Ryan replied, sending them out the door and nearly slamming it behind them.

"You could've invited them to join us." Shane looked very confused. 

"Trust me, the last thing you want is my family hanging out with us. They're loud and will literally eat all food in sight. Plus, they're rude," Ryan complained, but Shane had an almost fond expression on his face. 

"They seem like fun," was all Shane said before he turned and walked back to the couch, continuing where they had left off. 

 

**Author's Note:**

> This is kinda like imprinting in the Twilight universe, but for the record Twilight is literally the poster child of what an abusive relationship is. But, the concept of imprinting is cute.


End file.
